Person Old Testament
Merari
Also known as Merarite, Merarite; Merari =ESV, KJV
Merari, the third son of Levi, was the founder of the Merarite clan of Levites. Mentioned in 38 verses across 7 books, first at Genesis 46:11.
Why it matters. The third son of Levi and founder of the Merarites.
- Primary passages
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Merari
Merari was the third son of Levi and the founder of the Merarite clan, one of the three main divisions of the Levites (Gen.46.11; Exo.6.16,19). The Merarites were responsible for the transportation and maintenance of the tabernacle's framework, pillars, bases, and related equipment during the Israelites' journey through the wilderness (Num.3.36; 4.29,33,42,45). They were also given specific duties in the tabernacle service (Num.7.8; 10.17). In the time of David, the Merarites were assigned various roles in the temple service, including gatekeepers, singers, and assistants to the priests (1Ch.6.44,47; 9.14; 15.6,17; 23.6,21; 24.26,27; 26.10,19). The Merarites were allotted cities in the territories of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun (Jos.21.7,34,40; 1Ch.6.63,77). Members of the Merarite clan, such as Asaiah and Shemaiah, were involved in the reforms and restoration of temple worship during the reigns of Hezekiah and Josiah (2Ch.29.12; 34.12).
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
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Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
- Parents
- Levi
Appears in Scripture
Named in 38 verses across 7 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.